Bentley to Show New Sportscar Concept in Paris

Crewe's first sportscar in thirteen years to debut at Paris Auto Salon.

Bentley makes some wickedly fast cars. After all, they're all powered by either twin-turbo V8s or W12s. But we wouldn't exactly call any of them sportscars, per se. That could change, however, if the latest reports prove accurate. According to Car and Driver, the automaker from Crewe is planning to unveil a sportscar concept at the upcoming Paris Auto Salon. It would be the first true sportscar since the Lamborghini-based, W16-powered Hunaudieres concept of 1999 (pictured).

If C/D's sources are correct, the sportscar concept - with whatever nameplate it might carry - would preview a new design direction for the brand, whose products are undoubtedly stylish and graceful but not very aggressive, and have been far more evolutionary than revolutionary in recent years. A sportier look and feel could find its way onto future products, though the design of the new Flying Spur (and other versions of the Continental), the recently previewed Mulsanne convertible and the production version of the EXP 9 F sport-ute concept have likely already been finalized, so the effect might not be seen in showrooms for several years down the road.

Of course whether the sportscar itself would ever reach production is another matter entirely. The Volkswagen Group (of which Bentley is part) already has a wide range of sportscars in its portfolio - from the Porsche Boxster through the 911 and Audi R8 all the way up to the Lamborghini Aventador and Bugatti Veyron - but doubling up on a particular segment would not be out of the ordinary for VW.